Following on from lockdown and RCVS guidance on limiting ‘routine’ appointments such as vaccination, we are aware that some pets’ vaccines may have lapsed. However, during this period there have also been confirmed cases of Distemper in foxes in our region as well as confirmed Parvovirus. 

Preventative health care is one of our main priorities at Coquet Vets, which is why we are currently running a vaccination amnesty for dogs and cats. This week’s article is about the canine infectious diseases that we vaccinate against and the vaccines included within the vaccination amnesty. Next week it’s our feline friends turn!

Infectious diseases historically killed thousands of pets each year and although we haven’t eradicated these diseases, we have significantly reduced their presence through vaccinations. Vaccinations work by exposing the body to small harmless doses of a specific disease. Your pet’s immune system then reacts by producing defensive antibodies that ‘remember’ the disease in question. These memory antibodies will fade in time and at a variable rate depending on the disease. This is why we need to vaccinate against certain diseases more frequently than others. 

Parvovirus

This is a highly infectious disease that targets the gastrointestinal system of a dog. It is mainly seen in young unvaccinated puppies but can affect dogs of all ages. It is spread through contaminated items such as bedding, toys and even through hands, and is a very resilient virus that survives in the environment for a long period of time.

Symptoms seen in infected dogs are vomiting, diarrhoea, depression, and severe dehydration. It is often fatal even with intensive treatment. Dogs that do survive often have lifelong conditions as a consequence. 

Distemper

Thanks to vaccination this disease has drastically reduced in numbers in the UK, but sadly is not eradicated. This virus mainly affects young dogs and is spread through dog-to-dog contact. Distemper has a wide range of target organs resulting in a wide range of clinical signs. These vary from respiratory (including coughing, runny eyes and noses) to gastrointestinal (severe vomiting) through to severe fitting. Once again, Distemper is invariably fatal and any survivors are often left with severe neurological damage.

Infectious Hepatitis

This disease, like the others, affects multiple organ systems including liver, kidneys, eyes and lungs. Clinical signs can develop swiftly and in some individuals it is rapidly fatal. If dogs survive they can incubate the virus for months and continue to spread it. The disease is transmitted through items contaminated with urine or faeces and again is a very resilient virus.

Vaccinations against these three diseases are able to generate immunity for a long period of time compared to others, so we vaccinate against these every three years after your pet’s initial puppy course and first annual booster. 

Leptospirosis

This is a bacterial disease that is spread through infected urine and is most commonly carried by rats. The bacteria can harbour in stagnant water and rivers.  Not only is this disease dangerous to our pets, but it is also zoonotic (can spread from animals to humans). This disease primarily targets the kidneys and liver. It’s invariably fatal and survivors can be left with low levels of the bacteria that they can continue to shed in their urine. 

As Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease, vaccination has to be done yearly in order to ensure protection is maintained.  

Kennel Cough

Another common infectious disease that we vaccinate against is Kennel Cough. This is a separate vaccine to the others already mentioned and not currently part of the amnesty. It is spread through direct contact between dogs and is highly infectious.

Contrary to what the name suggests it can be spread anywhere dogs gather from the park to the groomers. It is rarely fatal and mainly results in a dry honking cough. The majority of cases resolve with some anti-inflammatory and time. It is important to note that this disease can incubate before signs are seen, so if you think your pet has come into contact with it, it is a good idea to isolate them from other dogs. Vaccination does not prevent kennel cough as it is a multi factorial disease, but it does greatly reduce the incidence of it.

Recommended Canine Vaccinations

We recommend all dogs receive annual boosters following their initial puppy courses. Here at Coquet Vets we aim to vaccinate puppies at 8 and 12 weeks for the core vaccine (Parvovirus, Distemper, Infectious Hepatitis and Leptospirosis) and can then carry out an optional top up vaccine against Parvovirus at 16 weeks. We also offer Kennel cough vaccination alongside the initial puppy course, as well as alongside their annual booster. 

If your pet’s vaccine has lapsed they will require two injections over a 4 week period to ensure their immunity is topped up adequately. During the amnesty this is being done for the same price as a normal booster.

We hope that you can see why we strongly believe in the benefits of vaccination and agree that prevention is the best line of defence against these horrible diseases. 

If you would like to book in your pet for a vaccination or if you have any questions relating to this article, please don’t hesitate to call us on 01665 252250 or email us at info@coquetvets.co.uk